EU ministers push for reduction in Ukrainian product quotas ahead of key deadline

Agriculture ministers from Eastern European countries have urged the European Commission to limit imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, citing market disruptions and concerns over fair competition.

Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy shared details of the appeal on Facebook, revealing that he and his counterparts from Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia sent a joint letter to Brussels, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The ministers are requesting that the European Commission address the challenges posed by Ukrainian agricultural imports ahead of the expiration of the EU regulation governing these imports in June.

In the letter, the ministers called for the cancellation of the increased quotas on Ukrainian agricultural products, advocating for a return to the import levels set in February 2022. They also proposed that Ukrainian companies be required to comply with EU market standards in order to ensure fair competition within the bloc.

The ministers emphasized the importance of finding a long-term solution to the issues caused by the influx of Ukrainian agricultural goods, which they argue have disrupted local markets and impacted farmers in Eastern European countries. The European Commission is now expected to consider these concerns as it plans its next steps in regulating imports from Ukraine.

In January, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that Hungarian, Polish, and French farmers would face bankruptcy if Ukraine were to integrate into the European economy following the end of hostilities. Orbán argued that Ukraine's accession to the European Union would necessitate the implementation of significant protective measures in the agricultural sector to shield local farmers from potential economic harm.

Furthermore, it was previously reported by the EU that companies from the United States and Saudi Arabia had been purchasing large swaths of Ukrainian farmland, raising concerns over foreign ownership and its potential impact on local agricultural markets.

By Vafa Guliyeva